Heat exhanger

ABSTRACT

A heat exchanger, for example an intercooler or a coolant radiator, may include at least two floors each having a passage for accommodating a longitudinal end region of a plurality of fluid-conducting tubes. The heat exchanger may further include at least one side part having a longitudinal end region at least one of at least partially accommodated in a passage at an end of an associated floor and adjoining the associate floor. The at least one side part may include at least two segments having a different cross-section from one another.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to German Patent Application No. 102014 219 080.0 filed on Sep. 22, 2014, German Patent Application No. 102014 219 209.9 filed on Sep. 23, 2014, and International PatentApplication No. PCT/EP2015/070601 filed on Sep. 9, 2015, the contents ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirely.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger, in particular anintercooler or a coolant radiator. The invention further relates to aside part for such a heat exchanger.

BACKGROUND

Heat exchangers are typically made up of a large number of tubes, inparticular flat tubes with or without turbulators, two floors andtypically two side parts, on which plenums are mounted to make acomplete collector. The side parts used for this are typically made froma single piece, usually in a stamping or embossing process. In addition,in order to reduce thermally induced stresses these side parts areeither furnished with local expansion sections or they are split intotwo parts mechanically in a manufacturing step after joining.

A heat exchanger in which each of the side parts is equipped with anexpansion bead is known from DE 197 53 408 A1, for example.

A species-related heat exchanger with two floors, each of which has twopassages for accommodating the longitudinal end regions of fluidconducting tubes is known from EP 0 748 995 B1. In this case too, sideparts are provided, and the longitudinal end region of each is at leastpartly accommodated in a passage at the end of the respective floor.These side parts are also equipped with expansion beads to compensatefor thermal stresses.

A heat exchanger for exchanging heat between a gas-phase first fluid anda liquid second fluid, having a plurality of tubes that extend through afirst fluid path for conducting the first fluid, is known from DE 102012 223 644 A1. The tubes are coupled so as to allow thermal exchangewith cooling fins arranged in the first fluid path so that the firstfluid can flow through them and form a second fluid path in the interiorthereof for conducting the second fluid. The radiator core formed by thetubes and corresponding floors has one side part on each of two externalsides farthest from each other in the direction of the stack to serve asthe lateral limitation of the first fluid path. Such an arrangement isintended to increase the stability of the radiator core since both sideparts are connected fixedly to each other via at least one tie rod,which is a separate component from the cooling fins and the tubes andwhich enables a tensile force to be transmitted in the direction of thestack.

Generally in the manufacture of heat exchangers according to the priorart, side parts of different lengths necessitated the constant use andpurchase of new tools. Side parts made as a single piece, stamped from ametal sheet for example, are designed with identical wall thickness overtheir entire length, which may occasionally result in the unnecessaryuse of too much material in regions where high strength or bendingstiffness values are not required. This is particularly the case in themiddle region, whereas greater bending stiffness is required in thelongitudinal end regions of the respective side parts. Accordingly, asingle-piece side part must be constructed either with stiffening overits entire length, or the stiffening is introduced only locally, andresults in increased material waste in the region that is not stiffened.

The present invention therefore addresses the problem of creating animproved or at least alternative embodiment of a heat exchanger of thespecies-related kind, which is characterised particularly by lighterweight and the use of less material in the region of the side parts.

This problem is solved according to the invention with the objects ofthe independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are the object ofrespective dependent claims.

SUMMARY

The present invention is based on the general idea of forming a sidepart from at least two segment parts with differing cross-sections interms of bending stiffness to serve as lateral delimitation of the heatexchanger radiator core and satisfy the respective requirements thereforregarding bending stiffness. The heat exchanger according to theinvention, which may have the form of a coolant radiator or intercoolerfor example, has two floors in the classic manner, each of which haspassages for accommodating the longitudinal end regions offluid-conducting tubes. The floors are delimited laterally by sideparts, wherein one longitudinal end region of each is at least partiallyaccommodated in a passage at the end of the respective floor.Alternatively, the longitudinal end region of the side parts may also besoldered or welded to the floors, and accordingly not accommodated inthe passages. According to the invention, the side part then includes atleast two separate segments having differing cross-sections, wherein atthe same time the differing cross-sections give rise to differentbending stiffness properties. A variant with three separate segmentsyields the particular advantages that the two end segments may beconstructed identically, while the middle part has a different shape.This in turn makes it possible to construct the longitudinal end regionsof the respective side parts (longitudinal end segments) more rigidlythan for example a centre section (middle part) located between the twolongitudinal end regions, so that the greater bending stiffness requiredin the longitudinal end region is achieved easily, while material andthus also weight can be saved in the middle section. Accordingly, withthe heat exchanger according to the invention and a side part accordingto the invention it is possible to achieve sufficient stiffness,particularly bending stiffness in the region close to the floor, i.e.,in the area of the floor, with minimal use of material. The longitudinalend region of the side part is thus provided with a cross-section ofgreater bending stiffness in the region close to the floor, while themiddle section located between the end regions has a more flexiblecross-section and/or reduced material thickness. Theoretically, it is ofcourse also possible to dispense with the middle section entirely, sothat in this case a zero cross-section would exist.

The middle section is expediently created in the form of a metal strip.This offers the simple and inexpensive option of manufacturing the metalstrip economically, without sophisticated manufacturing equipment andprocesses. The longitudinal end regions of the respective side parts mayhave a cross-section with U-shape, U-wedge shape, an L-shape, a W-shapeor a tubular shape consisting of one or more chambers, for example. Eventhis incomplete listing already suggests that the longitudinal endregions shaped in this way have significantly greater bending stiffnessthan the middle section in the form of a metal strip for example.Longitudinal end regions with such shapes are thus easily able todissipate forces that occur on this region, while the middle section notonly uses less material but can also be of lightweight construction,since in this region high stiffness or strength values are not required.

According to an advantageous development, one longitudinal end regionand the middle section are materially bonded to each other, for exampleby welding, adhesion or soldering. This makes it possible to assemble aone-piece side part consisting of multiple segments with differingcross-sections, and to handle it relatively easily in the assembledstate. Alternatively, it may also be provided that a gap is providedbetween the middle section and a longitudinal section, so that they donot touch each other. In this case, the gap would compensate for theeffects of thermal expansion.

The present invention is further based on the general idea of producinga side part for a previously described heat exchanger from at least twosegments with differing cross-sections and bending stiffness properties,that making it possible to ideally satisfy the different requirements interms of bending stiffness in a middle section and in the respectivelongitudinal end regions of the side part. The cross-section used in thelongitudinal end region exhibits good bending stiffness, while themiddle section weighs less and at the same time helps to conserveresources due to its more flexible construction and/or reduced materialthickness. The side part designed in this way is lighter overall, whichalso represents a considerable advantage particularly when it is used ina motor vehicle heat exchanger, yet still satisfies all requirementsregarding bending stiffness. A further decisive advantage is the lowercost entailed by variations in the length of the side part, since onlythe middle section must be changed.

Further important features and advantages of the invention are describedin the subordinate claims, the drawing and the associated description ofthe figures with reference to the drawing.

Of course, the features described in the preceding text and those whichwill be explained below are usable not only in the combinationsdescribed but also in other combinations, or alone, without departingfrom the scope of the present invention.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawing,and will be explained in greater detail in the following description,wherein the same reference signs refer to the same or similar orfunctionally equivalent components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the schematic drawing:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view through a heat exchanger according tothe invention,

FIG. 2 shows a side part according to the invention with a middlesection and two longitudinal end segments,

FIGS. 3 to 7 show various views of a side part with a middle section anddiffering longitudinal end segments,

FIG. 8 is a view of a side part with a longitudinal end segment having afirst contour and a middle section having a second contour thatcomplements the first.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to FIG. 1, a heat exchanger 1 according to the invention,which may be realised as an intercooler for example, includes two floors2, each of which has passages 3 for accommodating the longitudinal endregions of fluid-conducting tubes 4, flat tubes, for example. Floors 2are connected to plenums 5 to form a collector, for coolant for example.The respective longitudinal end regions 7 of the two side parts 6 are atleast partially accommodated in a passage 8 at the end of the associatedfloor 2, wherein the passage 8 at the end is constructed identicallywith the passages 3 provided for tubes 4. Side parts 6 may passpartially or all the way through passages 8, but do not have to.Alternatively, of course, they can also be joined to floors 2 in someother way, for example by soldering, welding, etc.

Now in order to be able to produce a side part 6 that not only satisfiesthe more demanding bending stiffness requirements that arise in thelongitudinal end region 7 but can otherwise be produced with minimalmaterial consumption, it is suggested according to the invention thatside part 6 includes at least two different segments 9, 10 withdiffering cross-section and therewith also different bending stiffnesscharacteristics. The side part 6 represented according to FIG. 2 has atotal of three segments 9, 10, that is to say two identical longitudinalend segments 13 and a middle section 14 arranged between them. Middlesection 14 has lower bending stiffness and/or a lower material thicknessthan longitudinal end segments 13 and can consequently be constructedparticularly economically in terms of materials and with less weight. Onthe other hand, the longitudinal end segments 13 not only have differingcross-sections, enabling greater bending stiffness, but may also havegreater material thickness, which also contributes to greater bendingstiffness.

Middle section 14 may be in the form of a metal strip, which can beconstructed simply and inexpensively, whereas the longitudinal endsegments 13 may have for example a W-shaped cross-section (see FIGS. 2and 5), a U-shaped cross-section (see FIG. 3), a U-wedge shapedcross-section (see FIG. 4) or a tubular cross-section consisting of oneor more chambers 15 (see FIGS. 6 and 7). A common feature of alllongitudinal end segments 13 shown is that they have relatively highbending stiffness moments by virtue of their cross-sections alone.

It is also conceivable that at least one longitudinal end segment 13 andthe middle section 14 are materially bonded to each other, for exampleby welding or soldering, or that a gap 16 is provided between the middlesection 14 and a longitudinal end segment 13, so that they do not toucheach other. Theoretically, of course, the individual segments 9, 10 maybe arranged so that they both overlap and abut each other. However, itis particularly advantageous if the two segments 9, 10 do not touch eachother and the gap 16 between two segments 9, 10 is larger than 0.5 mm. Abutt joint with gap 16 is shown for the side parts 6 according to FIGS.2 to 7, whereas in FIG. 8 longitudinal end segment 13 has a firstcontour 11 and middle section 14 has a second contour 12 complementarythereto. Accordingly, in this case the longitudinal end segments 13 ofside part 6 are given a convex or arrow-like shape directed towards themiddle section 14 (see left and right images in FIG. 8), which makes itpossible to ensure that each rib ridge can be joined to side part 6.

Side part 6 according to the invention and heat exchanger 1 according tothe invention make it possible to produce heat exchangers 1 withdiffering tube lengths and identical longitudinal end segments 13 ofside parts 6, which are simply combined with middle section 14 ofdifferent lengths depending on the tube length. In this way, the complexparts of side part 6, i.e. the longitudinal end segments 13 and segments10 can always be used inexpensively and with excellent results using thesame tool. Moreover, the simple design of middle section 14 helps tominimise material consumption, and in extreme cases even the middlesection 14, i.e. segment 9, can be omitted entirely. At the same time,the complex shape of the longitudinal end segment 13 still affords firmbracing for tubes 4 in the region of the floor 2 close to the floor.

1. A heat exchanger, comprising: at least two floors each having apassage for accommodating a longitudinal end region of a plurality offluid-conducting tubes; at least one side part having a longitudinal endregion at least one of at least partially accommodated in a passage atan end of an associated floor and adjoining the associated floor; andwherein the at least one side part includes at least two segments havinga different cross-section from one another.
 2. The heat exchangeraccording to claim 1, wherein the at least two segments of the at leastone side part includes two substantially identical longitudinal endsegments and a middle section arranged between the two longitudinal endsegments.
 3. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the middlesection has at least one of a material thickness and a bending stiffnessthat is lower than the two longitudinal end segments.
 4. The heatexchanger according to claim 2, wherein the middle section is structuredas a metal strip.
 5. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, whereinthe two longitudinal end segments have at least one of a U-shapedcross-section, a U-wedge shaped cross-section, a L-shaped cross-section,a W-shaped cross-section and a tubular cross-section with one or morechambers.
 6. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein a gap isprovided between the middle section and at least one longitudinal endsegment of the two longitudinal end segments to space the same from eachother.
 7. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein at least oneof the two longitudinal end segments and the middle section arematerially bonded to each other at least in one region.
 8. The heatexchanger according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the twolongitudinal end segments and the middle section are at least partiallyconnected to each other via a positive locking connection.
 9. The heatexchanger according to claim 8, wherein the at least one longitudinalend segment and the middle section are at least partially connected toeach other via a clipped connection.
 10. The heat exchanger according toclaim 2, wherein at least one of the two longitudinal end segments has afirst contour and the middle section has a second contour complementingthe first contour.
 11. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, whereinthe two longitudinal end segments have a tubular cross-section with oneor more chambers.
 12. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, whereinthe two longitudinal end segments have at least one of a U-shapedcross-section, a U-wedge shaped cross-section, and a W-shapedcross-section.
 13. The heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein themiddle section has a lower material thickness than that of the twolongitudinal end segments.
 14. The heat exchanger according to claim 2,wherein the middle section has a lower bending stiffness than that ofthe two longitudinal end segments.
 15. The heat exchanger according toclaim 3, wherein the middle section is structured as a metal strip. 16.The heat exchanger according to claim 4, wherein the middle section andat least one of the two longitudinal end segments are spaced apart fromone another to define a gap therebetween.
 17. A heat exchanger,comprising: a plurality of fluid-conducting tubes; at least two floorseach having a passage for accommodating a longitudinal end region of theplurality of fluid-conducting tubes; at least one side part having alongitudinal end region coupled to an associated one of the at least twofloors; and wherein the at least one side part includes at least twosegments having a different cross-section from one another, the at leasttwo segments including two longitudinal end segments and a middlesection arranged between the two longitudinal end segments.
 18. The heatexchanger according to claim 17, wherein the middle section isstructured as a flat strip and the two longitudinal end segments arestructured substantially identical to one another.
 19. The heatexchanger according to claim 17, wherein the middle section has at leastone of a material thickness and a bending stiffness that is lower thanthat of the two longitudinal end segments.
 20. The heat exchangeraccording to claim 17, wherein at least one of the two longitudinal endsegments has one of a U-shaped cross-section, a U-wedge shapedcross-section, a L-shaped cross-section, a W-shaped cross-section, and atubular cross-section with one or more chambers.